IRPA welcome conference on player welfare
August 20, 2002

The International Rugby Players' Association have welcomed the International Rugby Board's announcement to stage its first ever
player welfare conference but have refused to back the proposed North v South Hemisphere clash.

The inaugural conference takes place in Dublin this Septemebr and comes at a time when professional international rugby players are experiencing greater demands in terms of the number of games they play, length of season, smaller rest periods and player burnout such a conference can only be of benefit.

Tony Dempsey, Chairman of IRPA welcomed the news declaring, "This conference is a positive step and IRPA is looking forward to participating in what we anticipate to be a number of steps in the process in bringing about structural reform to the global rugby season.

"Presently players are playing for too long with too little rest periods. Strategies need to be devised to address this and it's pleasing to note that the IRB are finally taking some leadership and initiative in this process to address the player welfare issues raised by IRPA with the IRB in November 2001. All stakeholders throughout world rugby should seek to support and enhance this process.

"Notwithstanding this conference IRPA is acutely aware that there are a number of other processes that need to take place to make sure that the games most valuable resource (ie the players) are managed properly. The conference in itself will not resolve the problem. The recommendations coming out of it will be a key factor along with how they are adopted and implemented by the stakeholders in World Rugby.

"Until such time as action is taken to address the Player Welfare issues IRPA remains committed to withdrawing it's support to the proposed North v South Hemisphere Match.

"It would be premature for IRPA to be supporting yet another match in an international cluttered season until the reform IRPA is satisfied that the player welfare issues have been constructively resolved."

Since November last year IRPA has attempted to enter dialogue with the IRB over the following pressing issues:

  • Length of playing season;
  • Maximum number of games;
  • Length of break between seasons;
  • Development of alternative models for a global season; and
  • The need for an international coordinated approach to the management of the ever increasing rate of injuries;

    And until the announcement of the staging of a conference the IRPA had accused the IRB of just paying 'lip service' to the issue by offering it a position on an IRB Medical Advisory Committee which historically has had little influence on the key decision makers within World Rugby as to the welfare of the players.

    Earlier this year Dempsey commented, "All the studies undertaken thus far on the welfare of the modern professional rugby player confirm that with the increasing standard of play there exists a corresponding increase in injury rate.

    "Expert opinion suggests the appropriate number of matches for professional players ranges from between 20 and 28 per annum and yet the IRB have no strategies or measures in place to regulate against its members requiring players to play more than that number of games."

    And previously the IRPA have questioned the IRB's claim that the Hemisphere clash is key to development of the second tier of rugby nations.

    "What is being done with the AUD$130,000,000 net profit the RWC allegedly made from Rugby World Cup in 1999 and of the £50,000,000 allegedly held by the IRB in reserve accounts?" they demanded.

    "It seems strange the IRB would want to put the health of the game's most valuable resource at risk with further matches in an already cluttered international season as a means of helping to develop rugby's second and third tier nations."

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